Columbus – Today, State Senator Edna Brown (D-Toledo) announced that she will soon reintroduce legislation to help provide summer meals for Ohio’s children. The senator also encouraged third party food providers to partner with the newly announced Summer Food Service Program Plan from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).

“I am glad that my push over the past several years to extend affordable nutrition to students during the summer months has been taken up by the Ohio Department of Education,” said Senator Brown. “I encourage interested parties wanting to become partners in the Summer Food Service Program Plan to contact the Department. But I also hope the Department and my fellow senators will make sure no child goes hungry over the summer by supporting the summer nutrition legislation that I will soon reintroduce with Senator Peggy Lehner.”

Senators Brown and Lehner’s jointly-sponsored bill would require school districts to permit an alternative summer meal sponsor to use school facilities if the district declines to provide summer meals itself in areas where at least one-half of the pupils are eligible for free lunches. During the last General Assembly (GA), the bill (SB 247) passed out of committee and the Ohio Senate unanimously. During this GA, Sens. Brown and Lehner have located bipartisan representatives to introduce a companion bill in the Ohio House.

COLUMBUS - Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni (D-Boardman) and members of the Senate Democratic Caucus have launched a series of trips around the state to gather opinions from parents and educators on ways to improve education in Ohio.

Columbus—Next week, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) will introduce legislation aimed at protecting citizens who record law enforcement and civilian involved incidents. The Eyewitness Protection Act will give a person the right to lawfully record any incident involving law enforcement or the public and to maintain custody and control of that recording and the device used to record the incident.

Columbus—Today, State Senator Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) testified before members of the State and Local Government Committee on Senate Concurrent Resolution 4 to urge Commissioner Robert Manfred to reinstate Pete Rose to Major League Baseball. The resolution also encourages the Baseball Writers' Association to consider Pete Rose for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cleveland—Today, Senator Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) released the following statement calling for accountability after Judge John O'Donnell found Officer Michael Brelo not guilty of voluntary manslaughter charges in the deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams: